POSITION OF BOOKINGS ON MAIN TRUNK.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18055, 15 January 1927, Page 5

POSITION OF BOOKINGS ON MAIN TRUNK.

PASSENGERS’ COMPLAINT IS ANSWERED BY A RAILWAY OFFICIAL. The position in regard to the booking of sleeping berths on the North Island Main trunk line, about which a South Island man wrote to the papers complaining on December 15 of last year, was explained to a “Star” reporter this morning by Mr H. Chapman, district traffic manager. The complainant wrote that he had telegraphed to the Wellington booking office for a sleeping berth on the Limited Express which left for Auckland on December 23, and that he had not been given the berth he had asked for. “ I have made inquiries into the matter,” said Mr Chapman, “ and I find that the sleeping accommodation on the train in question was limited to 18 4 De Luxe’ berths and 18 ordinary sleeping berths. Although several applications were received by local people and others for sleeping accommodation prior to the date when the booking opened, reservations were not commenced until fourteen days before the train left, in this case December 9.

“ When the booking office opened at 7 o’clock in the morning all the accommodation was reserved within an hour of the opening. The staff did not receive the telegram for reference until nine o'clock, when all the berths had been reserved. Accommodation was provided for the passenger' on the evening express, which was the best that could be done under the circumstances. On the evening train Christchurch passengers were given the option of berths and seats, to take whichever they preferred. 44 It was suggested by the correspondent that South Island passengers suffer a disadvantage as opposed to the North Island passengers when they wish to book sleeping accommodation on the main trunk line. It is only when traffic is exceptionally heavy that this is likely to occur. It is quite reasonable that a queue of people who have been waiting for the office to open, and who make personal counter applications should have prefer encc over applications received by telegraph. In this respect North Island country passengers suffer the same disadvantage as the South Island passengers. “It would not be fair to Wellington city applicants if preference were given to the telegraphed applications, as it is quite possible that on some occasions all the sleeping berths would be booked that way. “ Most people realise that during the Christmas and Easter holiday rushes all applications for sleeping accommodation on the Limited cannot be granted, and that the only alternative is to travel on the evening express.”